And her Pepperpot Pie – a Jamacian and Lancashire fusion – is one of just three pies to make it to the finals.

Carol, who cares for her parents, Shelia and Cecil, both 84, said: “I saw it on the Lorraine programme quite a few weeks ago now and I had a few hours spare and I had a recipe in my head anyway so I thought I would try and make it and send it off – and they liked it.”

Carol described her pie as a spiced up meat and potato pie, because it has beef and sweet potato in alongside Jamaican pot peppers and coconut milk.

“Every Jamaican household has their own version of Pepperpot Soup, a chunky, spicy stew like soup that serves as a complete meal, we eat it regularly and the ingredients vary though the seasoning remains pretty much constant.

“As my mum is a Lancashire lass and enjoys traditional pies, I wanted to create a dish that would satisfy both mum and mad’s taste hence my Pepperpot Pie. It’s yummy!”

Carol added: “I love to cook for my family and friends. I am more than happy to spend all day in the kitchen.

“There’s three finalists. I have no idea who they are.

“I’m just over the moon to have got this far.

“I entered on a whim.

“It has just been so exciting and so much fun.”

Since the judges picked Carol’s pie for the finals she has been visited by a film crew and tomorrow she will be whisked off to London ready to appear on television on Wednesday morning.

She said: “They sent a film crew round to the house and filmed me and my nine-year-old daughter Ruby - she is a foody like me - in the kitchen.”

Information about the pies in the final will be broadcast on Wednesday morning’s show and then the decision will be left in the hands of the viewers when a public vote is launched. The winning pie would be produced by Waitrose and sold in their stores.

Carol said: “It would just be surreal - my freezer would be full of them!”

She added: “I’ve never entered anything like this before.

“I’ve never even thought about it.”

Carol who looks after her parents, Shelia and Harris, both 84, added: “They are estatic. They are over the moon for me. They say it is well deserved.”

The competition, launched in September on the show by Corrie stars Antony Cotton and Julie Hesmondhalgh appealed for budding Nigellas, Hestons or Delias to contact the show with their most mouth watering recipes – be it a vegetarian, fruit or a meat pie, as long as it had a short-crust pastry.

Lorraine viewers can vote for their favourite pie at ww.itv.com/Lorraine.